# My vision for the game

_Disclaimer: This document presents the intent for the game, but does not reflect its current state. Development is ongoing and there is still much to do!_

## Pitch

In the year 2068, humanity received a signal from the stars. Its artificial nature left no room for doubt.

For three years, the best minds and machines from around the world came together to answer that single question: why had the stars called to us?

The Signal revealed coordinates as well as the blueprints for a machine able to fold the fabric of space and time. Humankind would finally reach for the stars, and trace the Signal back to its origin.

Two centuries later, the Signal reshaped humankind. Star cities are scattered in the neighborhood of Sol, the abundance of energy made war as absurd as it is uncommon and medicine banished illness and aging.

One paramount question remains: who sent the Signal, and why?

When the first expeditions reached the given coordinates, they stumbled upon a black hole they named Chronos. Yet, it was not Chronos that would turn humanity upside down, but what orbited it: a perfect metallic orb of several kilometers in diameter, falling inexorably toward the event horizon. It would be called Ananke.

This discovery caused a shock comparable to that of the Signal itself. Large research stations were established throughout the entire system in the hope of rekindling the achievements of the first deciphering. In vain.

Ananke remained silent in the face of humanity’s questions and attempts to enter it all failed. Obsession gave way to weariness, and many turned tails to seek meaning in controlled dreams, endless pleasure or digital transcendence.

In 2271, you were raised in a star city in a world of comfort and abundance. You even received a spaceship as a birthday gift recently. Will you seek out Ananke's mystery, or will you lose yourself like many others before?

## Themes and atmosphere

Cosmos Journeyer's main focus is on exploration, contemplation and curiosity. Combat, military conflict and power struggles are not integral to the experience.

The aim is to move the player along different axes, in that order:

- Amaze the player by showing beautiful cosmic landscapes (astronomical phenomena, alien worlds, megastructures, dimensional anomalies)
- Make the player feel small with highly contrasting scales (from the size of a butterfly to a giant star)
- Intellectual vertigo through encounters and situations that question the player's intuitions (by exploring the interaction of humankind with the dreamers or the transcended ones for example)
- Fuel the player's curiosity by hinting at trails leading to the resolution of the Ananke mystery
- Reinforce the previous points by providing an immersive experience grounded in credible speculative science fiction

## Exploration through curiosity

The player is not alone in exploring the universe. Amid the solitude of the stars, a quiet fellowship emerges with other explorers through journey notes and annotated photographs scattered around remarkable places, left behind along their own journey.

These traces hint at possible destinations and hypotheses the player can pick up and make their own, to carve their path in the universe.

The player stays in control of their progression by collecting clues and choosing which trails to follow.

## Gameplay

### Loop

The gameplay loop I want to implement in the game is as follows:

1. The player enters a new system, guided by their own understanding of the main quest
2. They explore the worlds, stations and anomalies, looking for clues
3. Along the way, they take pictures of interesting places and collect exploration data
4. They meet NPCs, find fragments of stories and compare different worldviews
5. They go to a station to exchange exploration data for ship upgrades to make exploration more comfortable
6. They piece the clues together, come up with hypotheses and choose their next destination

### Game modes

The gameplay can be split into two modes depending on the player controlling their character or a vehicle.

The aim is to make the split as transparent as possible by letting the player control their character inside vehicles.

While piloting a spaceship, the player can travel inside a star system without any loading screen between planets and stations. That way the player can reach points of interest, collect exploration data or simply enjoy the view.

The spaceship can also be used to change star systems. In the long term there should be no difference between traveling inside a star system and traveling to a new star system.

On planet surfaces, the player can explore on foot or with a ground vehicle. Surface exploration consists mainly in roaming around to find views to capture. In the future, points of interest, random encounters and a fishing mini-game (of course) will also be present.

Space stations allow the player to refuel and exchange exploration data for ship upgrades. They will make exploration more comfortable without being mandatory as it should be possible to finish the game without any upgrade.

In the long term, the cities inside the stations will be explorable as well.

All in all, the gameplay aims to be calm and relaxing. The player should not be worried about pirate attacks, or grinding missions to reach their objective.

The goal is to reward curiosity, not repetition or stress.